Playing apparatus for pianos and other musical instruments.



J. P. KELLY.

PLAYING APPARATUS FOR PIANOS AND OTHER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. APPLIOATION IILED MAY 14, 1908.

984,677. Patenfied Feb. 21, 1911.

ffweniari M WJ? JOHN F. KELLY, F PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

PLAYING APPARATUS FOR PIANOS AND OTHER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 21, 1911.

Application filed May 14, 19Q8. 'Serial No. 432,767.-

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, Join: F. KELLY, a citizen of; the United States,,r esiding at Pitts-- field, county of Berkshire, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Playing Appa ratus for Pianos and other. Musical Instruments, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompan ying drawings, forming apart of the same.

This invention relates to playing apparatus for pianos and other musical instruments of the class described in Le llit' lographe ll6p(titeu1" by J. Carpcntier in D1. Lumiere E/cctr/yz/c of November 9th, 1881, or in United States Patent No. 371,422 granted to J. Carpentier, October 11th,.1887, in which the power for operating the keys of the piano is derived from a rotating'shaft, mounted adjacent to whicha're'a series of shoes, one of which is connected with each of the keys to be operated, and which shoes are adapted to be thrown into engagement with the rotating shaft and to be moved thereby to actuate the piano keys. 1

- The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus ofthis general character with means for accenting or emphasizing individual tones or for increasing the loudness of any part of the piece or com position being played.

To this end the invention consists in providing a plurality of rotating sha t'ts or drums having different surface velocities and by providing means whereby each key may be actuated by bringing a shoe or friction contact device into engagement with either or any one of such'rotating shafts or drums,

so that when a shoe is moved against; the

40 shaft rotating with the lower surface velocity the corresponding key will be operated with a certain force, and when aslioe is moved against a shaft or-drum with a higher surface velocity the correspondinp key will be operated with greater force and the tone produced will be louder.

While the frict on shoes may. be forced against the rotating shafts or drums by any suitable means, electrically operated means are especially adapted for this purpose.

Whatever means are employed, may be controlled in any suitable manner, either manually or automatically, for causing the pro-' duction of the desired tones of the desired loudness. The invention is, however, especially adaptable to automatic playing apparatus of that class in which the sounding of the tones is controlled by a so-called music sheetin which the various notes are repre-v sented. by suitable actuating or controlling devices, usually perforations, positioned transversely of the sheet to determine the particular tones to be sounded and lengthwise of the sheet according to the time and succession of the tones; and in some of its features the invention relates particularly to such automatic apparatus.

A 'full understanding of the invention can best be given by a detaileddescription of an automatic playing apparatus embodying the invention in the preferred form, and such a description will now be given in'connection with the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a diagrammatic view illustrating such an automat lti playing;- apparatus, this view showing the operating and controlling devices and electrical coni'iections for causing the operation of a single key of a piano. Fig. 2 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow 2 in Fig. l shmving the operating devices for three ot. the piano keys, and showing the friction drums or shafts broken away.

Referring to the drawings, keys of a piano keyboard are represented at 2. Extending 5 downward from each kev is a rod 3 which carries at its lowcr'eud a block 4t which normally lies midway between two rotating friction drums or shafts '5 and (7. The blocks 4 are each provided on each of their 9 sides facing the drums with a suitable friction surface forming, a friction shoe for engaging the face of the drum so that when a block. is brought. into engagement with either one of the drums it will be moved downward by the 'lrietitmal engagement of the face of the drum with the friction surface on the block: and by such downward movement of the block the key to which it is connected by its rod 3 will be drawn or 1 0 jerked downward so as to cause the soundin of the correspomling,tone.

In order to provide for thevactualion of the piano keys with different degrees of force, the drums 5 and (i are caused to rotate with different surface velocities. This result tion blocks 4 is forced into engagement with the drum 5, a corresponding tone of normal loudness will be produced, and if any one of the blocks a is forced into engagement with the drum 6, a. tone of increased loudness will be produced. If any one or more of a plurality of tones sounded simultaneously or in succession are to be accented or emphasized, therefore, it is only necessary to cause the blocks connected with the keys which produce such tones to be forced into engagement with the larger drum 6, while the blocks corresponding-to the keys which cause the production of the tones which are not to be accented or emphasized are forced into engagement with the similar drum 5. So, also, if any part or passage of a composition is to he played louder than other parts, the tones forming such part will be produced by causing the blocks corresponding to the keys which produce such tones to g be forced at the proper times against the larger drum 6, while the tOllcS which form the parts of the composition which are to be played with normal loudness are produced by causing the blocks which correspond to the keys which produce such tones to be forced at the proper times against the similar drum 5.

For moving the blocks into engagement with the drums, two series of electromagnets 7 and 8 are provided, there being one magnet in each series corresponding to each tone to be produced, that is, one for each of the blocks 4 and keys 2. The armatures of these magnets are in the form of pivoted arnr." 9 and 10, shown as pivoted at the base of the magnets and extending upward past the poles at the upper ends of the magnets. The armature arms of the corresponding magnets in each series are connected by links 11 so as to move together, and each of such pairs of armature. arms is connected by a link 12 with one of the friction blocks 4. Vhcn one of the magnets? is energized, therefore, its' armature'arm D will be drawn to the right in Fig. 1, thefeby moving the corresponding block 4: into engagement with the friction drum 5: and if one of the magwill be forced into engagement with the friction drum (5.

Automatic control of the circuits to l e two series of operating magnets is provided by means of a contact roll 15 and two series of contact fingers 1'1" and 18 adapted to make contact therewith, there being a contact finger 17 in circuit with each of the magnets 7 and a contact finger 18 in circuit with each of the magnets 8. Each of the magnets is connected through a batte y 19 to the roll 15 by means of a contact spring 20. In the operation of the apparatus, the contact lingers 17 and 18 are normally held out of contact with the roll 15 by means of a music sheet 21 which is formed of paper or other suitable insulating material. The music sheet will be perforated in the usual manner, the perforations being arranged transversely of the sheet accordingto the tones to be sounded, and lengthwise of the sheet according to the time andsuccession of the tones. As there will be two .contact fingers for each tone to be sounded, that is, one in the series 17 corresponding to the magnets T which cause the production of tones of normal loudness, and one of the series 18 corresponding to the magnets 8 which cause the production of tones of greater than normal loudness, there will consequently be two positions transversely of the sheet in which perforations may be placed for causing the production of each tone. perforations in one of such positions causing the production of tones of normal loudness, and those in the otherofsuch positions causing tonesv of greater than normal loudness. The two series of contact lingers may be relatively arranged in any desired manner, but preferably the contact fingers of the two series will be alternated as shown in Fig. 1. The position of the note perfora- (ions in the music sheet will, of course, correspond to the position fifthe contact fingers. In the portion of the sheet shown in Fig. 1., for example, the note perforation (6 will cause the closing of the circuit to the magnet 7 shown in Fig. 1, thereby causing the production of a tone of normal loudness, and the note perforation I) will cause the circuit to the magnet 9 shown in Fig. 1, to be closed, thereby causing the production of a tone of increased loudness. Similarly the series of note perforations a will cause the production of tones of normal loudness,

whereas, if such perforations were in the positions indicated by dotted lines at b the same toneswould besounded with increased loudness.

It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exact construction' and arrangement of parts as shown,

nets 8 is energized, its armature arm 10 will 1 but that it includes changes and modificabe attracted and the corresponding block 4 tions thereof within the claims.

It Will be understood also that the invention in its broader aspect is not ,to be limited to an automatic apparatus, or to an apparatus, ,whether automatic or not, operated or controlled by electrically operated means.

hat is claimed is:-

1f The combination with a tone producing device of a musical instrument, of a plurality of rotating friction '(li'uinsliaving different surface velocities, and a plurality ofv friction surfaces connected to operate the tone producing device and each of which is adapted to be brought into engagement with one of the friction drums and to be moved thereby to actuate the tone producing dcvice.

\ A. The combination with a tone producing device of a musical instrument, of a plurality of rotating friction drums, and a plu rality of friction surfaces connected to operate the tone producing device and each of which is adapted to be brought into engagementwith one of the friction [drums and to be moved thereby to actuate the tone-producing device, each of said friction drums being adapted to move the gtriction surface which is brought into engagement with it with. a different degree of force from the 'othet or others and thereby cause the production of a tone of a different degree of loudness. I

- The combination with a toneproducing device of a musical instrument, of two rotating friction drums mounted in adjacent positions and having different surface ve'-- locities, a member mounted between said friction drums and connected to operate the toiie producing device, said member being normally out of engagement with the fric tion drums and having friction surfaces on opposite sides for engaging the friction drums, and means for moving said member into fI'lCtlOliul engagement with said fricion drums whereby said member will be moved to actuate the tone producing device iivith a greater or less degree offorce according as itisflbrought into engagement with the, friction drum moving with the greater or less surface velocity.

4. The combination witli a tone producing device ofa musical instrument of two ro-, tating friction drums having d flerent surface velocities, a member conneeted to oper ate the tone producing device, and means for moving said member ii if) frictional engagement with said frictiofi drums whereby said. member will be moved to actuate the tone producing device with a greater or less degree of force according as it is brought into engagement with the friction drum moving with the greater or less surface velocity.

I 5. The combination with the Lope producing devi'cesof a musical instrument, of a less's'urface velocity.

pluralityof rotating friction drumshaving different surface velocities, and uv plurality i of friction shoes connected to operate each of-the' tone producing devices, each of. the friction shoes connected 'WItll each of the tone producing devices being adapted to be brought'into eiigagement with one of the friction drums and to bemoved thereby to actuate its corresponding tone producing device.

6, The combination. with the toncproducing devices of a musical instrument, of a plnralityof rotating friction drums, and a plurality of friction shoes connected to operate cach of the tone producing devices, each of the friction shoes connected with-each of the tone pro jliicing devices being adapted to be brought intoengagement with one of the friction drums and to be moved thereby to actuate its corresponding tone producing device, each of said friction drums being adapted to move the friction shoes which are brought into engagement withit with a different degree of force from the otheror others and thereby cause the proi'luction of tones of a different degree of loudness.

7. The combination wit-lithe tone producing' devices of a musical instrument, of two rotating friction drums mounted in ad acent positions and having different surface, ve-

locities, a series of members mounted between said friction drums one of which is connected to operate each of the tone producing devices, said members being normally out of engagement with the friction drums and having friction surfaces on opposite sides for engaging the friction drums,

and means foranoving said members into frictional engagement with Stild" friction drums whereby said members will be moved I to actuate the corresponding tone producing devices with a greater or less degree pf force I according as they are brought into engagement w th the friction drum moving with the greater or less surface velocity.

8. The combination with the tone produc- 9. The combination with a tone producing device of a musical instrument, of two rotating 'friction drums mounted in adjacent positions and having different surface velocities, a member mounted. between said friction drums and connected to operateihe tone drums and having friction surfaces on opposite sides for engaging the friction drums, and electrically operated means for moving saidmember intofrictional engagement with said friction drums whereby said member 1 will be moved to actuate the tone producing device with a greater or less degree of force 5 moving said friction shoes into engagement 5 With the friction drums with the friction drum moving with the v according as itis brought into engagement greater or less surface velocity. v

10. The combination with a tone producing device of a musical instrument, of a plurality of rotating friction drums. a plurality of friction shoes connected to operate the tone producing device and each of which is adapted to be brought into engagement 5 ing different surface velocities, a plurality producing device, said member being norlnally out. of engagement with the friction of friction shoes connected to operate each of the tone producing devices, each of the friction shoes connected With each of the tone producing devices being adapted to be brought into engagement-with one of the friction drums and to be moved thereby to actuate its corresponding tone producing device, and a plurality of electromagnets for 13. The combination with the tone producing devices of a musical instrument, of a plurality of rotating friction drums having different surface velocities, a plurality of friction shoes connected to operate each 1 of the tone producing devices, each of the with one of the friction drums and to be moved thereby to actuate the tone producmg device, and a plurality of electroniagnets, each of which 13 adapted to move one of said friction shoes into engagement with onej of the friction drums, each of said friction drnins being adapted to move the friction shoe which is brought into engagement with it with a ditfeient degree of force from the other or others and thereby cause the production of a tone of a different degree of loudness.

1.1. The combination with a tone producing device of a musical instrument, of a plurality of rotating friction drmns having diffcrent surface velocities, a plurality of friction shoes connected to operate the tone producing device and each of which is adapted to be brought into engagement with one of the friction drums and to be moved therebv to actuate the tone producing device, a p urality of electromagnets, each of which is adapted to move one of the friction shoes into engagement with one of the friction drums, and sheet. controlled contact devices for controlling the circuits to said elcctromagnets.

12. The combination with the tone producing devices of a musical instrument, of a plurality of rotating friction drums havfriction shoes connected with each of the tone producing devices being adapted to be brought into engagement with one of the friction drums and to be moved thereby to actuate its corresponding tone producing device, a. plurality of electromagnets for moving said friction shoes into engagement with the friction drums, and sheet controlled contact devices for closing the. circuits to said electromagnets. 14. The combination with the tone producing devices of a musical instrument, of a plurality of rotating friction drums having different surface velocit-ies,a plurality of friction shoes connected to operate each of the tone producing devices, each of the friction shoes connected with each of the tone producing devices being adapted to be brought into engagementwith one of the friction drums and to be moved thereby to actuate its corresponding tone production device, and sheet-controlled means for moving said friction shoes into engagement with the friction drums.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN F. KELLY.

\Vitnesses: I

E. G. FARRELL, Geo. P. Runs, 

